Traffic could worsen before Christmas – MMDA

MANILA, Philippines —  Major roads in Metro Manila could become more congested as Christmas Day approaches, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) warned yesterday.

Acting MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said while vehicular traffic in the metropolis is bad, “it could be heavier as Christmas approaches,” he said in Filipino during an interview over dwPM Radyo 630.

More cars are expected along major roads like EDSA today ahead of a long weekend as Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, was declared a holiday, he said.

Artes also predicted there would be heavy traffic on Dec. 15, when employees would do last-minute shopping after being given their salaries.

The potential exodus out of Metro Manila by motorists on Dec. 22, a Friday, could also cause congestion, he said.

Artes said the MMDA is confident its personnel could manage vehicular traffic on major roads since the agency has put in place measures such as the retention of window hours in the expanded number coding scheme and the deployment of a “strike force” for quicker apprehension of violators of traffic laws.

“We are sure we can manage traffic, we can manage that Metro Manila will not turn into a parking lot,” he assured the public.